Page 69 of Pulse
Chapter 21
Ren
I lingered in the doorway of the kitchen, watching for Monica’s exit. Ash had begrudgingly allowed me to talk to my dad first and break the news that we were going back to The Underground.
This was the easy part, right? All the bad things were out in the open, so one more shouldn’t tip the balance, right? Famous last words.
The office door slammed overhead and a moment later Monica was running down the stairs, tears streaming from her eyes. I wanted to feel satisfied that she’d gotten what she’d deserved after all this time, but I just couldn’t. She brushed by me without a word and disappeared out the front door and onto the street.
Dean caught my eye from across the studio and I shook my head. The look on his face said everything. He wanted to go after her, but she didn’t deserve it. He needed someone else to come along and sweep him off his feet. Monica Miller wasn’t worth his time and it was a match made in hell as far as I was concerned.
“Let her go,” I heard Lincoln say.
I cast my gaze up the stairs to the office where Dad was still inside, probably reeling from all the heartfelt confessions. Talk about family drama.
Without glancing back, I climbed the stairs ready to get this over with. Dad had to be on the same page and for some stupid reason, I wanted him to approve. I’d forgiven Ash for the things he’d done to me and somewhere along the line I’d forgiven Dad, too. I’d more than forgiven him. He was a part of my life now.
How’s that Mum? I thought.I found the family you wanted after all.
I knocked softly on the door before opening it and stepping into the office. Dad was standing in the middle of the room, pinching the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb, obviously at his wits end. When he heard me at the door, he glanced up.
“Ren…”
“Hey Dad.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were attacked?” he asked. “I could’ve helped you. We could’ve gone to the police.”
“You did help me,” I said, closing the door behind me.
“How Ren? Because right now I feel like a failure as a father. To both my daughters.”
“You let me train with you. You told me the truth about you and Mum. We got to know one another.”
“But that never let me protect you.”
“Dad…”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” he asked again. “Why didn’t you tell the police?”
“Because of this, Dad,” I cried, gesturing towards the window where below, three beefed up fighters were on tenterhooks with one another. “Mistakes were made on all sides. I should’ve done a lot of things. Same goes for you, Monica, Ash…everyone. There was nothing I could’ve done. It would’ve been my word against his and with no evidence and the guy’s history with Ash… They would’ve thrown it out of court. Nothing would’ve been solved.”
He shook his head, crossing his arms over his wide chest. “Since when does my twenty-three year old daughter know more about life than I do?”
I cocked my head to the side. “You’re really asking me? After all the shit we’ve been through?”
He ran his hand over his face before slumping down into the office chair.
I didn’t know if I should ask the question, or even care after what my sister had done, but I asked it anyway. It seemed like the classy thing to do. “What are you going to do about Monica?”
Dad sighed, spinning to face me. “She’s had a talking to, but I’m not done with her.”
“She’s been punished all this time, Dad,” I said. “I’ve made sure of it. She understands that what she did was wrong.”
